


Magnetic North

by Bitmeddler



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, Gift Giving, Holiday Fic Exchange, Humor, M/M, Making Out, Newmann Secret Santa 2020, Pre-Canon, Romantic Getaway, Science Husbands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:08:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28250673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bitmeddler/pseuds/Bitmeddler
Summary: Following a Kaiju Science Symposium in the Alaska Shatterdome, Newt and Hermann spend the holidays in a remote rented cabin in lieu of returning to Hong Kong. It’s shaping up to be the perfect romantic getaway until they realize the cabin is completely out of firewood. Newt steps up to rectify the situation.
Relationships: Newton Geiszler & Hermann Gottlieb, Newton Geiszler/Hermann Gottlieb
Comments: 12
Kudos: 25





	Magnetic North

**Author's Note:**

> Secret Santa gift for @ksci-janitor for the Newmann Secret Santa Exchange 2020. I absolutely adored your phenomenal prompts and I really hope I did them justice. Enjoy and happy holidays!

It was a chilly afternoon in December when Drs. Hermann Gottlieb and Newt Geiszler pulled up to their rented cabin.

They’d been deployed to the Anchorage Shatterdome for a PPDC-wide Kaiju Science Division Symposium and instead of immediately returning to Hong Kong after the final day, they had both requested a week of personal leave. Hermann had originally been eager to get out of the cold weather, which did his leg and mood no favours, but once Newt began sending him links to various admittedly romantic looking accommodations, he acquiesced, compromising that next year they vacation somewhere warmer.

Newt had enthusiastically agreed and done the bulk of the research into potential options, sending a shortlist to Hermann and giving him full veto power.

Hermann had been weary initially, having never used an online rental service before, but as they drove down the winding dirt road covered in a thin blanket of new snow, he felt his hesitation dissipate.

Life within the Shatterdome was close quarters at best and claustrophobic at worst. Too long without a break from the microcosm of the organization tended to have detrimental effects on the well-being of even the most stoic individual. Hermann found himself exhaling loudly with relief as he felt a deep sense of appreciation for the isolation and, more than anything, the quiet tranquility of being a forty minute drive from the nearest town.

Newt quickly glanced to the side, giving him a winsome grin before refocusing on the road.

“Better, right?” he asked.

Hermann extended his hand and gave his partner a quick, affectionate squeeze on the thigh. 

“Much better. I’m glad I let you talk me into this,” Hermann agreed.

“Not the first time you’ve said _that,”_ Newt chuckled. Hermann shook his head derisively, trying to conceal the small smile that was tugging at the side of his mouth. His husband of three years was absolutely, irreparably, impossibly insufferable. And Hermann loved him dearly for it.

As they drove around the bend, the cabin came into view at the top of a small incline. 

Newt maintained a steady handle on the wheel as the vehicle bumped and climbed up the packed snow that coated the gravel driveway.

As soon as they rolled to a stop, he put on the parking brake and hopped down from the driver’s side. The oversized truck had been an extravagance that Newt had insisted was ‘part of the experience.’ Hermann had indulged him without complaint largely because he agreed it made sense to have four-wheel drive in the middle of nowhere in the winter.

Newt hauled their bags out of the back of the truck and lugged them up to the front entrance. Hermann followed behind, took out his phone to confirm the cabin keycode he’d received prior to check-in and punched it into the lock. It opened with a click and Newt pushed the door open and set their luggage down in the foyer.

Next, they trundled in with an armload of groceries they’d bought in town. Newt had scarcely set the bags down on the counter when he started looking excitedly around the premises.

It was a modern affair with large floor to ceiling windows which looked out onto the woods and the lake beyond.

“Huh… there’s a massive fireplace but… I don’t see any firewood,” Newt observed, giving the room a thorough once over. He was out the front door again in a flash, chattering to himself under his breath. 

Hermann proceeded to pack away the groceries. He adored cooking, and was quite adept at it, but living in the confines of the Shatterdome without access to a kitchen did not allow him the opportunity. The ability to prepare food had once been both a necessity and a hobby, but now he regarded it as a luxury. Newt was the master of breakfast, but Hermann had offered to cook the rest of the meals, taking a tremendous amount of excitement in planning out what he was going to make; rice casserole, latkes, brisket, homemade pasta, roast chicken, kugel and variety of greens for the first part of the week. They’d venture back into town at the halfway point to restock.

Newton burst back into the entranceway shortly after, his hands uselessly thrust into his leather jacket pockets against the cold. He called out to Hermann from the foyer, “Nope, nada! Weird, right?”

“It is a little,” Hermann said, turning back and noticing a handwritten note laying on the countertop next to a bottle of champagne the hosts had left for them. He picked it up, slid on his reading glasses and dictated the message.

_“Dear Newt and Hermann,_

_Welcome to Lakeview Lodge! We hope everything is to your liking. Apologies for the lack of firewood, our usual delivery guy told us he’d bring some by tomorrow evening at the latest. If you need anything else at all, don’t hesitate to let us know._

_-Sam and Mark”_

Newt furrowed his brow slightly. “I mean, I guess I could drive back into town and see if there’s anyone else selling firewood…” he said, scratching the stubble on his chin.

Hermann knew full well that once his partner got an idea in his head it was difficult to dissuade him but he was less than keen on the thought of Newt driving back alone. It was getting on in the day and he would certainly be on the road after dark at this rate. 

“Love, it’s forty minutes back to the closest shop and we’ve got groceries to get us through easily for half the week,” Hermann said, before changing the subject to try and gently lead Newt away from the notion. “Now, shall we have a look at the second floor?”

“Oh, yeah!” Newt effused, ill-advised idea apparently forgotten for the time being. He hopped up the stairs two at a time. 

The upper level revealed a tastefully rustic bedroom equipped with a huge king bed and a terrace with a view out across the lake. Hermann stepped out onto the balcony, taking in a deep breath of the crisp, chill air. This was far a preferable way to spend the holidays than being sequestered in the metal, windowless halls of the Shatterdome. 

Newt joined him and wrapped his arms around the taller man from behind, nuzzling into his back. “It’s even better than the photos, right?”

“I was just thinking the same,” Hermann smiled and gave Newt’s hand a squeeze. 

Newt went up on his toes to plant a kiss on Hermann’s cheek before going back inside and diving face first onto the bed which bounced under him. He rolled over and grinned up at the ceiling, arms and legs splayed out like a starfish. 

Hermann came back inside and slid the glass door shut behind him, amused at his partner’s blissed-out look.

“Join me?” Newt gave him a small askew smile and extended his hand. 

“I really should get dinner started,” Hermann protested weakly, but put up no resistance when Newt pulled him down beside him on the bed.

Hermann admired the large skylight directly above. That had been one of the selling features of this particular cabin and he was looking forward to stargazing at night. He looked to the side at Newt. His partner’s brows were furrowed in contemplation and Hermann had seen the expression more than enough times to recognize it instantly.

“It’s too bad,” Newt said slowly. “I was really looking forward to a fire tonight…”

“Well, what do you propose then?” Hermann asked, sighing slightly. Newt had not abandoned the cause after all.

“I could just take a look outside and see if there’s a dead or fallen tree or whatever. Otherwise, I promise I’ll let it go, okay?” he said apologetically, making a move to get up off the bed. Hermann nodded in agreement and Newt launched himself up and bounded downstairs.

He poked his head outdoors and then quickly came back in again just as Hermann had returned to the kitchen.

“Damn, dude, it’s _freezing_ out there,” Newt shivered. “You gotta lend me your parka.”

“Darling, it is hardly my fault that you only brought your leather jacket to _Alaska_ in December," he stated flatly, but seeing Newt’s shoulders fall slightly, amended. “But it’s fine, just _be careful_ with it.”

“Thanks, man,” Newt smiled, about to step into the foyer before spinning on his heels and opening up his suitcase. "Hold on, I need to get changed for this." He threw off his ancient looking MIT hoodie and began to root around in his luggage. 

"Here we go!" he exclaimed triumphantly as he pulled out a red and black plaid shirt.

"Newton… are you… coordinating your outfit to chop firewood?" Hermann asked, cocking a quizzical eyebrow.

"Babe, c’mon…" Newt gave him an incredulous look which bordered on disappointment. "How long have you known me? Scratch that, how long have we been _married?"_

"You are absolutely right," Hermann replied, pinching the bridge of his nose in fond exasperation. "I shouldn't have had to ask. Of _course_ you are.”

Newt gave him a humorously proud smile before layering the parka over the plaid shirt and tight dark blue denim jeans he was wearing. He opened the door to venture outside.

Hermann chuckled affectionately at his partner’s antics and returned to the kitchen. He searched around in the unfamiliar cupboards until he found all the implements he needed to proceed with dinner preparation. He momentarily passed by the large window with a vista out onto the yard. 

He stood and looked at the unbroken layer of snow which shone brightly in the northern sun, admiring the silent stillness of the scene.

The illusion was shattered moments later when Newt trudged around the corner dragging a fallen tree of dried and dead wood that had been likely on the ground for ages.

He was also brandishing a reasonably sized hand axe he had located who-knows-where. He set about maneuvering the tree awkwardly onto a chopping block in the middle of the yard.

He swung the axe up above his head and brought it down with a dull _thunk._ Hermann winced slightly. At that rate, he wouldn’t even have the tree in half by nightfall.

Newt wrenched the axe free and tried again, this time with more force, resulting in a far more satisfying _thack!_

Hermann half watched him while distractedly moving about the kitchen and preparing the brisket he had planned to make. In the background, he could hear the sound of the axe hitting the wood at increasingly rhythmic intervals. It seemed Newt had found his pace.

Hermann set himself up with the cutting board in front of the window and, finishing a round of carrot chopping, looked up to watch his partner’s progress.

Newt unzipped the parka and continued working, the first signs of a light layer of sweat apparent on his brow. Within minutes, he was wiping his forehead with the sleeve of the coat before shrugging it off and unceremoniously tossing it into the snow drift beside him. Hermann overtly cringed and was about to storm outside and save his wayward outerwear, but the sight before him gave him pause. 

Newt had put his leg momentarily up on the chopping block to catch his breath and the already tight denim of his jeans strained under the exaggerated movement. Hermann swallowed thickly. The jeans looked almost airbrushed onto him. 

Next, he began to roll up the sleeves of his red and black plaid shirt, revealing his inked forearms. He raised his arm up to wipe his face again, his skin glistening slightly with sweat as the golden winter sun sinking steadily in the sky elongated his shadow. His chest rose and fell with exertion. He raised his arms up above his head, stretching the curved arc of his body before removing his leg from the block and slowly bending over to take up the axe again.

Hermann realized that he had been holding his breath and let it out abruptly in a sharp exhale.

Shaking his head slightly, Newt positioned himself, axe in hand, rising and swinging it down with increasingly confident strokes. The muscles of his forearms flexed with each motion, creating the illusion that the figures depicted in his tattoos were undulating along with his movements.

Hermann found himself unable to stop staring. He had seen Newton many times in his workspace engrossed in the tactile and somewhat physical endeavor of specimen manipulation. But this was different. The repetition and way that Newt’s body moved during this task was far more vigorous. And Newt never worked up a sweat like this in the lab. 

_Well, not from working with samples anyway,_ Hermann mentally amended, clearing his throat unconsciously. The occasional rendezvous on the lab couch was a different thing entirely... 

As a general rule, Hermann had never considered himself the type to be tempted by any sort of display of raw physical prowess. An intellectual connection had always been paramount when it came to attraction and he had started to develop strong feelings for Newton during their correspondence long before they had met in person. 

But Newton continued to be the exception to every rule Hermann had ever arbitrarily constructed and, Hermann supposed, the exhilaration of the unexpected was part of what made them work together. At this point he had given up on trying to multitask and stood fixed in place watching Newt chop a decent armload of wood, his eyes wandering unabashedly over his partner.

When Newt had a good stack and it looked like he was finishing up, Hermann scrambled to make up for lost dinner prep time.

Just as he was putting the brisket and vegetables in the oven, the front door was flung open and Newt bustled in with a bundle of firewood and Hermann’s parka tucked under his arm, somehow balancing the lot. 

“This should do us for tonight,” he said, kicking the excess snow off his boots and setting the wood down in the foyer to avoid tracking ice into the cabin. 

His cheeks were bright pink beneath his freckles from the exertion and the chill in the outside air. Hermann was about to berate his partner for the unjust abandonment of his parka onto the ground, but seeing the way Newt carefully placed it on a hanger and brushed the snow off before dealing with the wood, he thought better of it.

“So, it was a successful endeavor, I take it?” Hermann inquired, folding his arms and watching Newt remove his snow-coated footwear and bring the wood over to the fireplace, kneeling down to stack the logs in a criss-cross pattern. 

“You know what? At first I didn’t know what the hell I was doing, but… eventually I got into the zone and it was almost… weirdly relaxing,” he grinned, rolling his shoulders before wincing slightly as he stood up. “Only thing is that now my arms feel like jello.”

“Hmmm…” Hermann glided over to the shorter man and put his hands on his tight neck muscles, giving them a good, hard squeeze. Newt exhaled involuntarily under the relief of the touch.

“You know what would help with your sore muscles, love?” Hermann whispered throatily into Newton’s ear and he felt his partner shiver slightly from the tickle of his breath.

“Mmm?” Newt mumbled, long, dark eyelashes lidding the bright green of his eyes.

“An ice bath,” Hermann chuckled, eliciting the closest sound to a whimper he’d ever heard his partner make. Newt swung around to face Hermann, a comically dismayed pout instantly crossing his features.

“You are so _mean,_ ” he said with a small smirk tugging at the side of his mouth. “But I kinda like it…” He put his arms around Hermann’s neck and raised himself up slightly on his toes to grant himself better access.

Hermann grinned again and connected their lips. His hand slid down and untucked Newt’s shirt, letting the tips of his fingers dance across his partner’s stomach, feeling it twitch slightly below the featherlight touch.

His other hand slid around to the small of Newt’s back, feeling the slight layer of sweat there from his recent activity. He breathed in sharply through his nose as he deepened the kiss. His eyes flicked to the side. The couch wasn’t far...

He led Newton over to the sofa, not breaking their kiss. He threw himself heavily down onto the ample pillows and dragged Newt onto his lap. 

“So, you enjoyed the show?” Newt grinned down as he slowly undid the top button of his plaid shirt, revealing his inked collarbone.

“I beg your pardon?” Hermann sputtered.

“Come on, babe. I know you,” Newt chuckled. “And you’re not as subtle as you think. I saw you perving through the kitchen window.”

“I do not _perve,_ Newton,” Hermann protested, taking Newt’s hand in his own and kissing each of his knuckles in a valiant attempt to show he was nowhere near as uncouth as his partner falsely claimed.

“Keep telling yourself that, Dr. Gottlieb,” Newt said, formal title dripping with sarcasm as he leaned forward and started purring immodest whisperings into Hermann’s ear just as the stove timer echoed loudly across the cabin.

“Damn it,” Hermann hissed with far more ire than he intended. 

“To be continued?” Newt smiled at him, almost coy as he clumsily dismounted.

Hermann darted into the kitchen and pulled the brisket out of the oven. Newt set out some plates and cutlery on the island in the middle of the kitchen and popped the champagne with a proclamation of “carpe diem” as he poured the effervescent liquid out into two ancient looking wine glasses he’d managed to locate.

Immediately after dinner, Newt set about getting a fire ready as Hermann sought out the largest mugs he could find, putting the kettle on to boil. He assembled the ingredients for hot chocolate; a rather overpriced luxury cocoa powder, whipped cream and marshmallows, all of which he’d managed to covertly purchase at the grocery store without Newt’s knowledge.

When he came out into the living room, the hearth was crackling, casting a gently flickering glow around the room. Newt was crouched down in front of the fireplace, feeding pieces of dry bark he’d collected into it. He turned and stood up when he heard Hermann come in.

“Sweet!” Newt beamed, taking the steaming hot mug. “The only thing it’s missing is marshmallows.”

“They’re under the whipped cream,” Hermann confirmed.

“Have I mentioned yet today how much I love you?” Newt smiled. Satisfied that the fire was at a steady level, he took a seat on the couch, losing no time in spreading himself out comfortably and admiring his handiwork.

As Hermann went to set his hot chocolate down on the small table near the couch, he noticed a small wrapped box and card.

Hermann’s family had not engaged in gift exchanges growing up, but when he and Newton began working together, his colleague had given him a small Hanukkah gift. They had started exchanging tokens since then. But after they had gotten together, their presents seemed to get not only more extravagant but also larger over time.

Due to the limited space of their living quarters, this year they had mutually decided to restrict themselves to items that occupied less real estate. 

Last year, Hermann had given Newt the electric guitar he had coveted for ages. It had been an absolute beast to wrap to ensure the contents of the package were not overtly obvious from the shape, but Newt’s surprise when he had opened it had made the effort more than worth it. He had actually hugged the guitar stating, a little too proudly, that he was going to start getting “a different type of noise complaint that was also one hundred percent Hermann’s fault.”

He grinned a little at the memory. Newt, noticing that Hermann had spotted the box, said with an air of rare timidity, “I kinda, really wanna give you your present right now.”

“If we do the exchange tonight, you won’t have anything left to unwrap,” Hermann pointed out. 

Not missing a beat, Newt’s hand shot out to Hermann’s upper thigh and squeezed, a small, lewd grin playing at the corner of his mouth. “Sure, I will…”

Hermann rolled his eyes slightly, going along with the new plan. “All right, love. Let me get your gift too then.”

He quickly located the small box from his luggage. Newt was bouncing his leg slightly from excitement. His partner’s unbridled enthusiasm was, Hermann was forced to admit, more charming than irritating, as Newt surged forward to grab the present and card from the table and passed both to Hermann.

Hermann took the paper out of the envelope which had in Newt’s bubbled handwriting “husband” followed by an array of hearts. He paused for a moment looking at the word. It didn't matter how frequently he saw it, every time it gave him a little spark of delight. Newt sat next to him impatiently, eyes flicking from Hermann to the gift and back. 

He unwrapped the small box and opened it to reveal a plastic card. He picked it up and turned it over in his hand. It was a VIP membership pass to the Hong Kong Space Museum.

Newton immediately began rapidly overexplaining himself. "I hope you like it, I mean I know we’ve never been, but apparently the planetarium is awesome and they have an observatory and stuff and I got you the VIP one that gives you full access and lets you bring a guest and I would go anytime with you, just so you know because you’re always saying how you wanna get out of the Shatterdome more when we can and I know we’re crazy busy right now, so we usually end up just, you know, sticking close to the base but I dunno, it’d be a good excuse to get out and go on dates...” he trailed off, presumably to take in a much-needed breath, and looked at Hermann over the thick rims of his glasses. “Because… I like going on dates with you.”

“Darling, it’s perfect,” Hermann smiled widely as he held the card in his hand. He leaned across the couch and planted a chaste kiss and Newt’s stubbled cheek. “Now it’s your turn.”

Newt opened the card first, smiling at the note Hermann had written in it.

“Can I say something cheesy?” Newt asked. 

“If you must,” Hermann said affectionately. 

“I always get this happy feeling whenever I read anything you’ve written,” he said, staring at the card. “I think it's a throwback from our letter days. Whenever anything came in the mail with your handwriting on the envelope, I got so stoked that I think my reaction to your penmanship is just Pavlovian at this point.”

Hermann smiled at the admission as Newt proceeded to unwrap the small package with unabashed zeal, tearing the paper and discarding it on the floor revealing what was clearly a ring box.

“Aww, babe, of course I’ll marry you, I thought you’d never ask,” Newton looked up at Hermann, who rolled his eyes overtly.

“Well, take a look at it already, won’t you?” Hermann chided as Newt opened the box to reveal a small platinum ring in the shape of a skull.

“Oh my god, dude, this is so _badass!”_ he said as he flung himself into Hermann’s arms, immediately sliding it onto his pinky finger. 

“Hold on, you need to look closer,” Hermann prompted, as Newt gave him a perplexed look and removed the ring. He turned it over in his hand before noticing a miniscule inscription on the inside of it. He adjusted his glasses and squinted at the engraving. 

“October 23, 2013,” he said knowingly. “Speaking of our letters! This is the date of the first one I ever wrote you.”

Hermann nodded slightly, looking down. “Well, some couples celebrate the day they met… but that doesn't really work for us.”

“Yeah, man, that was _not_ a day to be celebrated. Remember? I called you a bastard man. And you called me… what was it? An intentionally inflammatory, imputent, miserable little-”

“Let’s…” Hermann cut him off, “not rehash the past, shall we?” 

He took the ring and replaced it on the pinky finger of Newt’s left hand. It fit well with the leather bracelets he perpetually wore and complimented his wedding band perfectly.

“It’s awesome, man. I’m never gonna take it off,” Newt said, wriggling his fingers to admire the way the fire reflected off its smooth metallic surface. 

“I’m glad,” Hermann said, pulling Newt gently by the hand towards him so he could better swivel his partner’s body so he was facing backwards. “Now turn around.”

“Damn, babe,” Newt raised his eyebrows in surprise, but moved where Hermann led him compliantly. “You are _forward_ tonight.”

“And you have your mind perpetually in the gutter,” Hermann admonished, as he reached forward and put his hands on his partner’s shoulders and squeezed. “I believe you mentioned your shoulders were sore from your rather vigorous exertion earlier.”

“Mmm... “ Newt mumbled incoherently as Hermann began to adeptly massage his shoulders and back. “You know, I might have to cut more logs tomorrow. We don’t know when the firewood guy is coming. I mean, it’s possible that the firewood guy is a lie.”

“Well,” Hermann said, working on a particularly stubborn knot. “You will not hear any complaints from me.”

“Ha! Yeah, right!” Newt retorted with a slight snort. “That’d be a first!”

“You do know how to ruin a mood, Newton,” Hermann chided. Newt quickly pivoted around so he was facing Hermann.

“Do I?” he asked with feigned innocence, biting his bottom lip suggestively. 

Hermann shuddered involuntarily despite the cozy warmth of the hearth crackling away next to them. He was loath to leave its proximity but he was beginning to think he had more urgent matters that required his undivided and thorough attention.

“Bed?” he managed. 

“Bed!” Newt agreed.

***

Newt lay next to Hermann entirely naked but for his plaid shirt unbuttoned, which he had kept on at Hermann’s request. He’d drifted off in Hermann’s arms almost immediately afterwards, his breathing an even and steady rhythm. 

Hermann sighed contentedly and planted a kiss on the smaller man’s forehead who murmured something unintelligible in response.

He was tired but resisted the urge to fall asleep for as long as possible, staring up and beyond the skylight at the stars winking softly in the distance, not wanting the night to end. 

After lunch the next day, the firewood delivery came promptly as promised with easily enough to last for double the duration of their stay at the cabin.

Hermann felt a surge of acute disappointment as soon as he heard the vehicle crunching over the snow up the driveway. Newt greeted the delivery man cordially and helped him unload the cargo and stack it neatly by the side of the cabin.

Hermann joined him as the delivery truck backed down the path, inspecting the new woodpile with barely concealed dismay.

Newt surveyed the newly replenished stock, leaning forward and adjusting his glasses before proclaiming, “This is the worst firewood I’ve ever seen.”

“What are you talking about?” Hermann countered, perplexed by the odd statement. “It’s perfectly standard, usable firewood.”

“Nope,” Newt insisted, shaking his head. “It’s subpar. Total crap.”

He grinned knowingly at Hermann and said as he began to stretch and roll his shoulders, “I guess if you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself, huh?”

Hermann realized with a smirk where Newt was going with this. “You are unequivocally right, Dr. Geiszler,” he said with poise. “I daresay you could do a _far_ better job.”

Newt turned to go back into the cabin, kicking his boots off in the foyer to run upstairs and retrieve the plaid shirt once again. Hermann waited for him at the entranceway.

“You’re not gonna watch from the kitchen?” Newt asked, joining Hermann and replacing his boots.

“I think I’ll accompany you outside,” Hermann said, zipping up his parka against the chill. “For the up close and personal experience.”

“Well, let’s get to it,” Newt grinned widely up at him and leaned in for a kiss.

They opened the door and exited the cabin hand in hand.

**Author's Note:**

> I had a ton of fun writing this and I couldn't resist arting a thing to accompany this fic: https://bitmeddler.tumblr.com/post/638335028032684032/


End file.
